SF Kettlebells — Local services in San Francisco

Having been an athlete at high-school and collegiate levels, and a personal trainer for the past two years, I have had the benefit of working with various coaches, as well as have been able to challenge and train myself. Needless to say, I've rarely found myself wanting or needing personal training. Lately I've been missing having a coach and was feeling like I needed someone to give me that extra push to take me to a new level of fitness. After reading through MANY reviews and websites, I happened upon Marty’s site. A couple videos in, I was convinced this was the guy!! As a trainer, I pay acute attention to my clients’ form when performing any exercises. Form is everything for me, and I would expect anyone who is a trainer or coach to be the same. When it comes to putting form FIRST, Marty supersedes any trainer I've ever met or worked with. He is old school strict! and for all the right reasons. If you don’t perform an exercise with the EXACT form he requires from you, you stop, reset, and start again. He ensures that you learn even the simplest movement pattern with impeccable form, before he progresses you. But his attention to detail doesn't stop at just form. He walks you through every part of every exercise making sure you understand the how and why of what he asks of you. Marty will squeeze every last drop out of you during every session. I wish I would have had coaches who payed so much attention to detail as Marty, when I was an athlete in college. Marty is also INCREDIBLY knowledgeable. I am amazed at how many different styles of training he is familiar with, though, I wouldn't expect anything less from such a passionate and dedicated athlete! Marty has done it all, and his decades of experience are very apparent from the second you meet him. He leads by example and there is no substitute for that when your job is to inspire, and guide people to become a better version of themselves. If you are a beginner or an athlete looking to take yourself to the next level, Marty is the person to help you get there. Marty is a great example of what I aspire to be like...

I’d start by saying that I agree with almost all of what’s been conveyed in other reviews here. Please read those as well, as they are all relevant and accurate, even if older.

His marketing as a kettlebell instructor unfortunately undersells his areas of expertise and what he is capable of doing for you. Kettlebells are merely a tool in his toolbelt for fitness and health. Yes, he is an incredible kettlebell instructor, but he has so much more to offer. He can and will tailor a custom program to meet your goals, with or without a focus on kettlebells. His approach and abilities hit all the buzzwords of the day - healthspan, longevity, mobility, flexibility, VO2 max, strength and resistance training, functional fitness and movement patterns, and so on, beyond whatever “kettlebells” might bring to mind.

I do also want to emphasize what many reviews mention: Marty’s knowledge and eye for form surpasses what I’ve experienced from coaches and trainers across different disciplines and sports. It’s just incredible. He will make sure you are completing movements in a way that will keep you safe from injury, and will not let you proceed until you’ve met that bar. And he will explain it all to you, so you also learn along in the process. I’m sure for some it might feel slow and occasionally frustrating, but it’s essential for staying injury free, maximizing your potential, and improving your form and body mechanics beyond exercise and into your day-to-day life.

He is strict and, as some other reviews mention, “old school” - he’s not going to coddle you. This comes from a place of care. If you don’t follow his guidance, you won’t meet the goals you set out aiming to achieve. He will know it, and he will let you know it. If you’re not willing to dedicate a couple hours a week to exercise for your health and goals, he may not be the best fit for you.

If his style and approach ends up being a fit for you, he will take you to...

I recently had the pleasure of working with Marty, and I can’t recommend him highly enough. I came to him with two main goals: addressing some knee pain and improving my dance performance with a more well-rounded approach to strength and mobility.

From day one, Marty’s depth of knowledge and passion for movement stood out. He has a strong background in kettlebells, but he doesn’t limit himself there. He brings an interdisciplinary lens, always connecting the dots between strength, mobility, longevity, and real-world performance. He’s rigorous and detail-oriented, with an incredible eye for form. Instead of just running me through sets, he made sure I understood the “why” behind everything we were doing.

He very quickly identified the root cause of my knee pain, and gave me precise exercises to fix it. Within weeks, I felt a real difference.

Beyond rehab, he looked at my dance training and lifestyle, and challenged me to think about what my “missing link” was to not only take my physical base to the next level, but also set myself up for longevity. He’s savvy about how to personalize training to your unique situation - not just in movements but also how you incorporate training into your lifestyle.

Each session was essentially a mix of training and hands-on education. I didn’t just get stronger from working with Marty, he taught me how to think critically about my movement, my longevity, and my potential. He’s essentially a fountain of knowledge (he’s got a LOT of passion, and you can tell he does a vast amount of self-study because he loves it!), and his eye for detail and corrections are on a class of its own.

He’s tough and rigorous in all the ways you want a coach to be, and if you truly dedicate yourself to the work and to being the best student possible, results are sure to come.

Im grateful to Marty, and recommend to anyone thinking of...